Defence Portfolio
Briefing to the Incoming Government 2005
Roles and Organisation of the Ministry of Defence and the NZDF (continued)
Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand
Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand (HQ JFNZ) was established at Trentham on 1 July 2001. The Commander JFNZ (COMJFNZ) is responsible to the Chief of Defence Force for the Operational Command of those NZDF force elements assigned, by the single Service Chiefs of Staff, for operational deployment and for selected joint and combined activities.
The three Component Commanders (Maritime, Land and Air) exercise operational command of their respective force elements, with the support of the Joint Headquarters staff.
As well as planning the conduct of operations, HQ JFNZ also undertakes operational level contingency planning and coordinates and implements the NZDF exercise and activity programme.
HQ JFNZ is an integrated operational level headquarters that replaced the previous single Service operational level Command Headquarters. The staff branches are configured functionally using the internationally common staff system.
Organisation of HQ JFNZ
- COMJFNZ is responsible for the operational command of all assigned force elements on Output Class 16 operations and for mutually agreed joint and combined training.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand - Major-General L.J. (Lou) Gardiner, ONZM
Lou was born in Wellington, New Zealand in 1952. He joined the New Zealand Army in 1971 and entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Australia. He graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Economics and Geography and joined the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps. He completed a number of appointments and courses, including a Fuels, Energy, Management Course at Fort Lee, USA and a two year posting to Army Office in Canberra, Australia as a Major, before being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of the 1st Base Supply Battalion in December 1990. In 1994, he was posted to the United Nations Operations in Somalia (UNOSOM) as the Deputy Chief Logistic Officer on the Headquarters of the Peacekeeping Force for seven and half months.
In late 1995 he returned to New Zealand, he was promoted to Colonel and assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff, Support Command. At this time he completed a second degree in Human Resource Management. In January 1997, Major General Gardiner attended the Australia College of Defence and Strategic Studies (ACDSS) in Canberra, Australia and returned to New Zealand in Dec 1997 to assume the appointment of Director of Resource Policy and Plans in HQ NZDF. During 1998, he attended a Finance for Senior Executives course at the Harvard Business School.
In December 1998, he was promoted to Brigadier and assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief of Staff (DCGS). However, one week later he was appointed as the Land Commander. During his twelve months as Land Commander, he was appointed as Joint Commander for two operations. The first operation was the provision of support to the New Zealand Police Force during the security operations for APEC that was held in Auckland. The second operation was for the deployment and command of New Zealand forces to, and in Timor Leste. In December 1999, he was re-appointed to DCGS. In July 2000, he was appointed to the Chief Military Observers appointment in United Nations Transitional Authority East Timor (UNTAET) for twelve months. He returned to New Zealand in July 2001 and assumed his old appointment as DCGS. In December 2001 he assumed his current appointment as the New Zealand Defence Adviser to Australia. Lou was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his Operational Service in Timor Leste, in the New Years Honours List on January 1st 2004.
In November 2004 he was promoted to Major General and posted as Commander Joint Forces New Zealand.
Lou is married to Judith and they have three children, Matthew, Erin and Benjamin. Lou enjoys rugby, although no longer an active player, cricket, fitness training and golf. Judith is involved with education that extends to a very keen involvement with the Duke of Edinburgh program.
Key NZDF Personnel (Brigadiers (equivalent) and above)
Chief of Defence Force (CDF): Air Marshal B.R. (Bruce) Ferguson
Vice Chief of Defence Force (VCDF): Air-Vice Marshal D.A. (David) Bamfield
Chief of Navy (CN): Rear Admiral R.A. (David) Ledson
Chief of Army (CA): Major General J. (Jerry) Mateparae
Chief of Air Force (CAF): Air Vice-Marshal J.H.S. (John) Hamilton
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand (COMJFNZ): Major General L.J. (Lou) Gardiner
Corporate Financial Officer (CFO): Mr M. (Maurice) Horner
Assistant Chief Strategic Commitments and Intelligence (AC SCI): Air Commodore G.B. (Graham) Lintott
Assistant Chief Development (AC Dev): Brigadier R. R. (Rhys) Jones
Project Manager Defence Sustainability Initiative: Air Commodore T.M. (Terry) Gardiner
Assistant Chief Personnel (AC Pers): Commodore B (Bruce) Pepperell
Acting Assistant Chief Resources (AC Rscs): Colonel C. (Colin) Richardson
Director General Defence Legal Services: Brigadier K.J. (Kevin) Riordan
Head International Defence Relations: Mr P. (Paul) Sinclair
Chief Information Officer (CIO): Mr R.J. (Ron) Hooton
Executive Project Director to CDF (EPD/CDF): Mr J. (John) Worden
Deputy Chief of Navy DCN): Commodore D.V. (David) Anson
Deputy Chief of Army (DCA): Brigadier J.B. (Barry) Vryenhoek
Deputy Chief of Air Force (DCAF): Air Commodore P.J. (Peter) Stockwell
Maritime Component Commander (MCC): Commodore J.R. (Jack) Steer
Land Component Commander (LCC): Brigadier W.J. (Warren) Whiting
Air Component Commander (ACC): Air Commodore R.J. (Dick) Newlands
Defence Attachés
Australia: Air Commodore G.J. (Gavin) Howse
Canada: Colonel T.R. (Theo) Kuper
China: Group Captain P.L. (Peter) Guy
Fiji (accredited to Tonga and Samoa): Lieutenant Colonel J.D.S. (Jeremy) Ramsden
Niue and Cook Islands (based in Wellington): Commander W.N. (Wayne) Jack
Indonesia (accredited to Timor-Leste): Colonel J.R. (John) McLeod
Japan: Captain J.F. (John) Campbell
Korea: Colonel T.L. (Tim) Gall
Malaysia (accredited to Brunei): Group Captain M.E. (Mary) Cox
Philippines: Group Captain J.B. (Jim) McMillan
Papua New Guinea (accredited to Vanuatu and Solomon Islands): Lieutenant Colonel C.M. (Mac) Grace
Singapore: Colonel M.J.A. (Martin) Dransfield
Thailand (accredited to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam): Group Captain R.J. (Rod) Fortune
United Nations: Colonel S.G. (Selwyn) Heaton
United Kingdom (accredited to Germany, France, Belgium, Ireland and Italy): Brigadier P.S. (Paul) Southwell
United States: Commodore P.J. (Pat) Williams
United Nations Appointment
Chief of Staff, United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (CoS: UNTSO): Major General C.W. (Clive) Lilley
